Frights, Flashbacks and Further
by Witty Eagle Proud Ravenclaw
Summary: The Doctor wants to take Clara to a calming planet for once, but the familiar whiff of adventure calls, plus an oh-so-vivid face from his brown-and-blue-pinstriped regeneration. When UNIT have to step in, all hell breaks loose! (Includes references to multiple Doctors!)
1. The Doctor, Beside Coaxer

**The Doctor, Beside Coaxer**

**Author Note: All familiar ideas stem from Russell T. Davies, not me. All the Eleventh and Clara fans that are reading this, the dynamic is a bit unclear - my pure Whoufflé muse might strike, it might not. Bits and bobs just came randomly when I was noting this one down.**

Sitting upright suddenly, Clara's eyes flashed open as she woke up in a cold sweat, moistening her white dressing gown, scarlet and cyan walls being the first thing around her. She promptly screamed. Flashes of several faces and black voids...

"DOCTOR!" she gasped, a shiver passing through her body. Tears ran down her face. Luckily, the madman had heard her from the console room, and dashed in.

"Clara!" he breathed, at which point, her silent tears flowed harder. "Oh, Clara... my impossible girl... no worries, I'm here..." he soothed, sitting on her duvet and putting his giraffe limbs around her slight frame. She appreciated it and snuggled into him.

"N-n-nightmare..." she squeaked. "Doctor, save me." And at that, part of the Doctor's resolve broke. It was very rare Clara went to pieces like this. And if he could help her, then come Gallifrey or high water he would. "So scared..." she mumbled.

"It's OK, Clara. I'm here, always here." he kissed her forehead, and looked into those brown orbs he cared for so much. "The Doctor's here, and doctors help." he grinned.

A shaky laugh shook his companion's slim body. His chin gently nuzzled her hair.

"A good use for it." she mumbled contentedly, but he looked down and noticed a stray tear. Worried green met watery brown and the Doctor cupped her face.

"My lovely soufflé girl, I'm going to tell you something. The good things don't always soften the bad things, but vice versa, the bad things don't necessarily spoil the good things or make them unimportant. So I'm sure that nightmare can be calmed." he smiled - that advice seemed to trigger a calmness in Clara and he felt it in the way she hugged him. She looked at him and a zillion emotions crossed her face.

"I - I - I was dying." she muttered. "But it was weird. You know the old thought about how human lives look back as they die?" The Doctor nodded, and didn't like where this was going. His Clara did not deserve this level of nightmare tremors.

"Well... that thought was in reverse. I was me, mid-twenties, but fast-forwarding." There was a crack in her voice, and tears flowed again. "N-next thing, I-I'm in the blackness of a c-c-cold gr-gr-grave." she was properly sobbing now, dampening the Doctor's purple cashmere coat. The Doctor didn't care though - his lovely companion was going through pain and he had to stop that. Clara paused with a sniff as she realised the softness of the cashmere. "S-s-sorry." she breathed, her fingers lingering on the coat. "Doctor?" she asked quietly, for an odd look had come over his face.

He could regenerate, so whatever his nightmares were, he could never draw a comparison to Clara's, and it bugged him. He couldn't imagine that gloomy pitch-blackness, that all-encompassing dread. Right now his empathic skills were wasted. A muscle twitched in his face. He ran his hands on the dark-blue duvet, a contrast to Clara's pale skin and dressing-gown. "What's on your mind?" she asked.

"You are. I want to help." he said, earnestness in his green orbs. Clara smiled weakly. "And I think I know how to help." he smiled down at her, wiping away the tear tracks.

"I-Is this going to b-be one of your s-surprise planets?" Clara hiccuped, a delayed bubble caught in her throat. The Doctor stroked her hair and nodded.

"Yes. Oh there there, by the time I'm done, you'll be fine. Tell you what, go to the fifth room on the left and have a lie-down." he breathed, kissing on the forehead. "Rest that worried little brain." he said compassionately. Clara did so and the Doctor straightened his bow-tie, pulled the wibbly lever down and promptly set off for one of his favourite planets. He was determined to rid his companion of her shock.

**AN: Uh-oh, the straightened bow-tie! He means business! A short chapter - especially by my standards - but I mean for the story to fall thick and fast. And yes, I re-used Clara's bedroom design from my fic 'Rom-coms, but The Doctor's Way!', but that's how I imagine it.**


	2. Velox Sanitas

**Velox Sanitas**

**Author Note: All familiar ideas stem from Russell T. Davies, not me.**

Clara reached the fifth room on the left. She opened the door, and was faced with silver and TARDIS blue-striped walls. A fuzzy image of an older man with long grey hair caught her eye, which she thought had morphed into someone now with black hair in a Beatles-type haircut and additionally thinner face, but when she looked back at that area - it was gone, as if it had disappeared in a similar way to mist. She came to the conclusion that she must have imagined it. Then it clicked in her head.

"Aw, how sweet of the Doctor to lend me his bedroom." she whispered, smiling. Her last thought was how the Doctor had said 'rest that worried little brain', and she did. The next dream was confusing, flashes of an older self, dark colours, and a subconscious dizzy sensation. What she didn't know was that the Doctor had been waiting outside his bedroom, silently ready for trouble. Back under the covers, Clara began to twitch, rolling over in her sleep very fast. Hearing a slight creak of the mattress, the Gallifreyan tiptoed in, only to see his brunette companion jerking slightly in slumber, and whispering 'not the abyss'. He realised immediately.

"Clara dear, wake up." he muttered, gently shaking her, quite a feat due to her twitch. "Clara..." he said, a crack in his voice. He couldn't let another soul go through hell.

Suddenly as he stroked the velvet of her dressing-gown, she woke up.

"Wha- Doctor?" she croaked. He smiled at her, green eyes full of care. "Wha-?"

"Another nightmare." he said gently. Clara paled, whispering 'not the abyss' again. "What happened this time? Another fast-forward?" the Doctor asked.

"Flashes of grey and black, me with grey hair and then..." Clara trailed off as she burst into tears. As she wailed, hazily looking at the duvet, the Oncoming Storm peaked through, a look of maddeningly angry defiance crossing the alien's face. He hugged Clara as he sent a telepathic message to the Tardis - Volex Sanitas, and fast. The ship sped up. Clara felt the lurch, and questioned the Doctor with a look.

"I'm taking you to a treatment planet. Sort of an outer-space hospital..."

"...but planet-wide? First amusement park planets, now medical planets?" Clara asked, her old teasing tone creeping back into her voice, which filled the Doctor with relief. Clara smiled, knowing he'd found a solution. For a moment, at 'medical planets', the bowtie-crazed man's mind lurched back to the Judoon - in a way, Martha's hospital had become what Clara seemed to suggest when it ended up on the Moon. He laughed when remembering what he'd said at the main computer.

"Judoon platoon upon the moon..." he muttered, a smile gracing his face.

"So I'll be OK, rid of the nightmares?" Clara pondered in seriousness despite her voice being rid of weakness. The Doctor nodded, grateful he'd put the Tardis on autopilot so he could comfort the impossible girl next to him.

"Yep. Shoulder honey, pomegranate foot massage - don't look at me that way!" he exclaimed, for Clara had started an unhealthy fit of the giggles and couldn't stop.

"P-p-pomegranate f-foot m-massage?!" she laughed. "Water, we Earthlings can cope with, but pomegranates? I suppose the juice is used there in place of water?"

"Nope!" the eccentric alien responded, popping the 'p'. "Actual pomegranates! The feet get soothed as the skin meets the fruit layers!" he said. Clara shook her head.

"Nuts. Madness..." she smiled. The Doctor stroked her hair.

"There's that smile!" he grinned. "Few days on Volex Sanitas, and you'll be cured!"

"Volex Sanitas? I've gotten used to unusual names... but that boggles me."

"Didn't you pick up Latin terms at school and university?" the Doctor smirked.

"Clearly not enough, Mr. Clever!" Clara teased, hitting him lightly with the dressing gown belt. "So, what's the translation of Volex Sanitas? If it's something obvious..."

"Obvious considering what the planet's known for. You see, volex sanitas literally means 'quick health'. Kind of silly, really." the Doctor said with a grin. Clara laughed.

"Well if there's a remedy for my nightmares..." she shivered. The Doctor held her gently, humming in Gallifreyan. Once his humming had sent her off to a calm sleep, the impossible girl's head hit the pillow, and with a kiss on her forehead, the Doctor scribbled down a note 'the Tardis noise should wake you gently if we arrive at V.S. Hope you had a pleasant sleep. Doctor, x'. When Clara's mouth opened in deep exhale, the Doctor suddenly emerged with a Sanitian remedy, a spray bottle of chocolate chloroform that he just happened to have, and sprayed it into her mouth.

"Endorphins and relaxed muscles, just what she needs. Enough to tide her over, at least." he said once he was back in the console room. But nothing to could mask that worry on the inside. His hearts tensed as he thought of Clara's nightmares. After a quick detour around a couple of nebulae, the pinkish-white glow of the atmosphere told him that they were quite close to Velox Sanitas. Weirdly gentle thuds across a corridor floor caught his ears and the old alien smiled. He turned around.

"Found my slippers?" he joked. Clara, still drowsy, grinned back. She appreciated that she hadn't been plagued for once. The Doctor's damn slippers, though...

"I'm ironically getting tired of these frequent naps. Though I'd try for a little walk. These slippers, however are-" but she was cut off by the Doctor's laugh.

"Those slippers are quite large on your little feet, I'd imagine, Miss Oswald! But it appears like you've woken up at the right time. That's your 'medical planet'." he said, pointing to the monitor that was acting like a window. Clara smiled and took her cue to get properly dressed. As the Doctor straightened his bow-tie and dried his cashmere coat, Clara emerged in a red dress with white polka dots. The Doctor smiled as the TARDIS made its noise, and the duo stepped out onto the green pavement of Velox Sanitas. Clara inhaled the air with its rose-like scent and immediately got a clearer head. The Doctor was thankful for this, since he'd been seeing a mistiness in her chocolate-brown eyes which naturally made him worry.

"Right Clara, time to help you for good. Let me just..." he trailed as used the sonic as a compass. "...right, off to NUM." he said with a pensive grin. Clara was confused.

"Numb?" she asked, hoping injections weren't part of her treatment.

"N.U.M. It means Nox Ultra Medicinam - night-time remedy." the alien responded. "You thought numb as in injections and needles? Oh come here." he said gently, picking her up and spinning her slowly. They both smiled, grateful for the closeness.

For a brief second, Clara thought that within that caring face, she saw a determined scary look in his eyes - maybe this was the legendary 'oncoming storm' he had mentioned. But if that was so, she knew it was determination for her. When he put her down, they headed off. Soon enough they were at the N.U.M. clinic, where what looked like a sofa was in the first room to the right. The Doctor looked down at Clara.

"Now, that vibrating bed can easily put you to sleep and spray-"

"I'm not going into a gas chamber." Clara stated promptly, tiptoeing up and showing her fierce face. The Doctor smiled empathically and shook his head at her.

"It's nothing like a gas chamber. You lie down, and as you nod off, the chocolate chloroform swirls around you and you breathe it in. Being what it is, it soothes your muscles and gives your brain the happy kick-start to fight off the nightmares."

"For the record, I've been staying off the cheese." Clara defended. The Doctor's laugh rumbled in his chest, and Clara thought she heard 'Earthling myth'.

"You, dear Clara, should know that the old cheese story is a load of zemno." the alien said cheerfully. At the last word, Clara looked at him like he'd gone truly bonkers.

"Zemno? What is that, some alien matter? I got the tone, you know." she said.

"Zemno!" he said gaily, clapping his hands. "Means 'rot' in my native language."

"I was close then." she teased. The Doctor gave her that look - the caring but amused look he always seemed to give her. "So, that vibrating bed." she prompted.

"Ah! Just like I said, basically Sanitan anesthetic - I gave some to you when I'd hummed you to sleep - just happened to have on me. Only mine was a bit stale. This should work so much better." he smiled, and with that, they reached the medical official, a pale-blue squid-humanoid. Before the Doctor could think 'ood', it spoke.

"Hello, I am Videlicet, the head of NUM. I judge this young lady needs treatment?"

"Yes I do." Clara spoke, feeling oddly relaxed around the department head. "I've been having lax control over frightful nightmares." she explained, voice cracking. The Doctor rubbed circles on her back as Videlicet looked sympathetic. "I understand your chocolate chloroform should rid that." Clara finished. Videlicet nodded.

"It's true. It mixes up the ideal situation in the brain to neutralise the dark thoughts that occur." she said, her hair flipping to the left. Clara smiled.

"My good friend told me it's the perfect cure." At this, the Doctor spoke up afterwards.

"I've had to retreat to this humble planet a few times. Often with a scarf or cream-coloured frock-coat - although I prefer this purple cashmere now!"

"You seem to be well-acquainted with our customs, good sir. Now I'll lead Miss-"

"Oswald. Clara Oswald." Clara smiled loosely, growing to like Videlicet moreso.

"-Miss Oswald to the comforter." And with that, Clara was guided to the bed, a pensive look gracing the Doctor's face. As Videlicet glued a few crucial wires to Clara's head, the patient blinked. As green met brown, the Doctor stepped forward.

"Sleep well, Clara. My Clara." he smiled, pressing that oh-so-familiar kiss to her forehead. Videlicet grinned modestly - there was obviously deep chemistry there.

"See you soon, Doctor." Clara whispered, relaxing in preparation. As the nozzle was switched, she breathed in and mumbled 'cocoa and swimming pools...' before her eyes drooped. As soon that happened, she could've sworn she heard a whisper in that vividly calming tone she'd come to adore. The Doctor had said some nonsense that sounded like 'Ipkolar uwil fodarijul pekpeks', but maybe that was just the mixture getting to her. Then she was out. Soon enough, the Doctor pacing in a waiting room. An hour later - or, the hair-pulling stage - Videlicet tapped him on the shoulder.

"She's fine. Should be waking up just now. But be quiet - she'll be woozy."

"Of course." the Doctor responded, a wobble to his voice. He tiptoed to Clara's treatment room and saw those brown orbs open, their sparkle bright as ever.

"Hey." she mumbled, throat constricting due to after-effects. Her smile was back.

"Lomoesh, Clara." the alien responded, sweat on his brow. Clara looked puzzled. "Sorry, I slip into Gallifreyan when worried. Afternoon." he said, mouth twitching.

"Afternoon. I trust that I'm OK now?" she said, voice returning. The Doctor grinned.

"Zos onunatap imul - whoops, I mean you must trust me." he said, orbs gleaming.

"Of course I trust you - why wouldn't you tell whether I was OK?" Clara asked, locking onto the green eyes she confided so much in. She tried to get up.

"Woah there tiger." Videlicet laughed lightly, her hand on Clara's. "Your conscience has just been wrung like a sponge. Movement isn't the best idea. _I'm_ your doctor, not him." she smiled, winking at the Doctor for the pun.

"Just take it easy, and like I said, maybe a few days?" the Gallifreyan soothed Clara.

"OK, Doctor. For you." the brunette whispered, listening to the dual heartbeats.

**AN: Alright, slight Whoufflé if you squint, or maybe some see it as platonic friends, but Clara's OK, yay! Next up, more Sanitian remedies and maybe a familiar face.**


	3. A Pass Through Upon Dupreau

**A Pass Through Upon Dupreau**

**Author Note: All familiar ideas stem from Russell T. Davies, not me.**

"OK Clara, slow it down for a while, yeah? Maybe some shoulder honey to smooth your joints. You don't want to ache so soon." Videlicet said. Clara was using the Doctor as a crutch, and admittedly it was awkward for her.

"Back on Earth, crutches aren't taller than the patient, or made out of giraffes!"

"Hey!" the Doctor defended, steadying his companion. Clara laughed.

"Maybe that shoulder honey, then." the brunette said. Videlicet smiled.

"Right. Doctor if you could guide Clara over to the red-tiled room." At the quip, Clara took a slight sniff, and milk and honey hit her nose. "And I'm sure, since you know about our ways, you'd prefer to stay out." the blue alien grinned lightly.

"Of course." the Doctor responded, the slightest pink tinge on his face as he walked away. Videlicet whispered to Clara, who then looked at the Doctor with a flush. The patient was soon in capable hands, and took off her hospital gown to show her shoulders. Videlicet dipped her blue fingers in the milky honey and rubbed it on Clara's pale skin, which glowed an almond-type colour for a brief second.

"Excuse me, but in my knowledge of herbal- ohhhhh!" Clara gasped with a grin.

"I don't need to rub it in, it melts into your skin." Videlicet responded.

"That is lovely. Masseuses could learn a trick or two back home!" And after a couple of days Clara was her springy self once more, ready to fly around in the Tardis again.

"Right, now that you're well, we should be re-" but something stopped the Doctor while he and his companion were walking around the Sanitian surface.

"Did I hear a rumble?" Clara pondered. The Doctor looked thoughtful.

"Not a rumble..." he trailed as he ran to the edge with his giraffe legs.

"Doctor!" Clara whined, but as she whizzed behind him as much as she could, she thought she could see an explosion at the fringes of her vision.

"Neighbouring planet of Dupreau." the Doctor said. "Guess I should do what I do!"

"Stop conflict?" Clara asked, excitement evident in her voice. The Doctor smiled.

"Let's see what mess they're in." he said as he leap-frogged back to the Tardis.

"Oi! Slow down! What about little ol' me?" Clara continued to whine comically.

"Fine!" the Doctor went back to pick her up in his arms, and carried her to the blue box. And with that, the wheezing of the Tardis took them to Dupreau.

"Doctor, you can put me down now." Clara teased. The Doctor looked down and flushed a light pink. Clara thought she caught a 'sorry'. "So, this should be the simple 'take us to one leader, get him to stop the fighting with the other leader'?"

"I hope so, if it is a civil war. I hope it isn't the complex 'both sides work off of mythical reasons'." the Doctor mumbled, a flash of agony on his face. Clara smiled sadly.

"That's happened before?" she asked gently, rubbing the Doctor's back.

"Yes. On the planet Messaline. Humans and aliens known as the Hath fought an entire war based on myth. Granted, it only lasted a week, but more myths made it seem much longer." he said, guilt on his face now because of Donna and Martha.

"Well let's hope this solution is swift." Clara said happily, trying to calm the Doctor down. The Tardis slowed, and landed on Dupreau. As the duo stepped out, the Doctor sensed something. He bent down, dragging Clara down silently. Just then, a shot was fired just over his head. He looked up, seeing someone he knew.

"Jenny?" he said, a crack in his voice. Jenny was indeed there, dealing with an enemy she'd just shot. She looked at him, confusion flooding her features.

"Do I know you?" she asked. As they both stood up, the Doctor pulled Jenny's hand to his chest, making her feel both hearts. "Dad, is that you?" the blonde asked.

"Different face, I've regenerated." he smiled weakly. Clara got up.

"I know about regeneration, but... she's your daughter?!" the brunette asked.

"Long story." the Doctor said. "I know I look young enough to be her sibling."

"You definitely do now. Blimey, does your body grow younger every regeneration?"

"Sadly Jenny, that's not the case. And this is Clara, my trusted companion."

"What happened to D-" but Jenny stopped talking at the sad look in her father's eyes.

"Touchy subject. So, Jenny, what's the deal here?" Clara asked. Jenny smiled, pleased she could look Clara in the eye. Dark green met chocolate-brown.

"I landed on Dupreau after sensing some conflict, and being the natural saver that I am, I vow to well, save this planet." Jenny finished somewhat lamely. Clara laughed.

"Like father, like daughter. Still can't get around that." the companion said.

"Well, we do share that passion for running." Jenny replied. Clara groaned.

"I ran to the Tardis when we were on the neighbouring planet Volex Sanitas." the Doctor said. Clara huffed. Jenny thought she heard 'just 'cos I've got little legs'.

"Just because you've got little legs what?" Jenny asked. Clara impishly grinned.

"That's the reason he leaves me when we run." she winked. The Doctor shook his head, heavily denying the accusation. "And he knows he does." she teased.

"I would never leave you behind, Clara. Never." he said, tone thick with admiration.

Jenny dragged the Doctor down and whispered 'uwil muhainair?' in his ear. With a blush to his face, he shook his head again, mumbling 'silly daughter with natural talent for Gallifreyan'. Jenny couldn't help but laugh at that.

"So, what conflict are we trying to solve?" Clara asked, hungry for adventure.

"The Huguenose and Cathleeks." Jenny beamed. "And I've limited down my gun use. I used to be trigger-happy last time I bumped into my dad. Now it's down to running and only firing when necessary." The Doctor looked at her with pacifist-type pride.

"Well let's see what we can do. Jenny, lead the way." he said, ruffling his messy hair. And soon enough, the three were at the edges of the battlefield.

"One army got a reeeally bad tan." Clara chuckled. Jenny fought back a grin herself.

"The gold-skinned ones are the Huguenose." she explained. The Doctor nodded.

"Gold? More like orange! They look like half-hybrid Wotsits!" Clara exclaimed. The Doctor couldn't help himself - he laughed, and hard. In seconds he was crying with mirth, and this distracted the Huguenose, their pentagonal faces fixed on him.

"Run!" he bellowed, the two women sprinting alongside him.

Soon they were cornered, and Clara's face turned white - there was always a way out, she used to think, but now that didn't seem like it. The Doctor turned to her.

"Clara, if you want a way out, follow Jenny. I'll deal with them." he said, with big eyes.

"Doctor-" but he put his fingers on her lips, determination on his face.

"Stick together you two." he breathed, kissing both their foreheads. Clara smiled weakly, and let Jenny guide her. They could hear an 'I'm here to help, it what's I do'.

"Lucky I've learned a few shortcuts." Jenny said. At this, colour returned to Clara.

After a few minutes, they were in a forest, away from the sound of guns.

"You reckon he's OK?" Clara asked, worry flooding her voice more than ever.

"I do. If this face's half as ballsy as the last one, he'll be figuring something out."

"That's reassuring, honestly. I like the adventure, but I don't know what I'd do if any-"

"He'll be fine - he's the Doctor. I've heard stories of him on my travels, and trust me, he can handle it all. Sonic screwdriver, brain full of solutions... only things he needs. And he cares about you, that's why he left you with me. He knows you can handle yourself, but already I know that he'd be lost without you, too. Are you and him-"

"Oh..." Clara cut Jenny off when she immediately got the blond's gist. "We, um, I... some people have tended to think there's tension there-"

"Which there is." Jenny smirked. Clara coloured with embarrassment and emotion.

"Is not! He cares, but he doesn't lo-" but the brunette was stopped by Jenny's laugh.

"He just might, you know. I can see it in those green eyes." But all laughter stopped as Jenny stiffened. Clara called her name, but also sensed something was wrong. A purple sting-ray of sorts suddenly shot out of thin air. Both women jumped, Jenny pulling off a stop, drop and roll, which was a good dodge. Clara's timing was slightly off, unfortunately. The ray hit her with a sound like a snake hiss. Jenny's mouth dropped as she screwed up her eyes in shock. _Oh no, not Clara_ she thought. _Dad'll kill me. If only I could've pulled a joined dodge in time. And now either Cathleeks or Huguenouse have hit her with a trademark weapon. Thank Rassilion it's not lethal._

**AN: I knew I had to bring Jenny back, and this cliffhanger seemed the perfect way to lead into what happens in the next chapter.**


	4. Phone Calls, Weird Antics and Old Faces

**Phone Calls, Weird Antics and Old Faces**

**Author Note: All familiar ideas stem from Russell T. Davies, not me. I sincerely apologise for the long wait, and heads-up - this is a slightly cracky chapter, but still very much in the Whovian spirit.**

"Oh Clara." Jenny mumbled, opening her eyes and laying on the ground. In front of her was a miniaturised Clara, completely asleep and no bigger than a butter knife, but somehow, Jenny was sure the brunette's voice hadn't changed when she coughed drowsily. Jenny gulped. The Doctor would double-kill her for this, for sure.

"J-Jenny?" Clara mumbled, eyes barely open. "What?!" she shrieked, seeing a huge blonde head in her vision. Instinct was to call for the Doctor but then she realised.

"Clara, it's me." Jenny whispered, accounting for Clara's size. "You've been shrunk. You're only about ten percent of your original size now. Weird alien ray. Now my thought is how to pacify my father. He'll freak if his favourite person's like this." she said, picking Clara up to put the little woman in her hands. Brown met dark green.

"Blimey..." Clara breathed, looking around her to see Jenny's fingers. "I knew I was short as a kid, but this... could only happen in dreams or something!"

"Let me see if there's an airy space in my backpack - that way you don't get any further injury." Jenny said logically, shaking her head at the ray's consequences, placing her miniature friend on the ground to rummage inside said backpack.

"What could happen? I'm so small that nothing could get me." Clara reasoned, jumping slightly on the ground, still trying to get used to being six inches tall.

"You'd be surprised, actually." Jenny said, her voice unusually grim, and then after she'd sorted her backpack, picked up Clara, suddenly smiling. "Found the place for you." she grinned, placing the smaller woman carefully inside. "You won't be jiggled around, I promise." she said. "What was that?" she continued, hearing a whisper.

"I said 'I can now be an ornament on the TARDIS console'." Clara beamed half-jokingly. Jenny couldn't help but proper belly-laugh in response, breaking a peaceful silence that luckily told them there were no oncoming threats around.

"Get in there, you, and stay safe." the blonde said, Clara now in the zippy compartment. But before zipping herself in, the brunette perched herself up and did something unusual - kissed Jenny on the nose, leaning back with a smile afterwards.

"What was that for? I got the feeling you only liked guys." Jenny pondered.

"I do happen to be straight-" Clara said "-but that was just a friendly promise kiss. However... but that's another story." she finished, now anxious to get back.

"So your sexual orientation is of the Time Lord variety?" Jenny teased. Clara pouted.

"Girl talk can wait for when we're out of danger." she said, zipping in.

The Doctor however, was not having so much optimism going through his veins.

"Honestly, if I hadn't sensed this..." he mumbled under his breath, nearing the leader of the Huguenose. "Your Imperial Regency, I promise I have something to help - there was merely an understanding between me and your servants." he finished, saying 'servants' in a slimy tone and a very dark look crossed his face. The Imperial Regent, who resembled a living Tutankhamun tomb, looked thoughtful.

"I suppose it was." he said, running a finger across his jawline and scratching his chin. The Doctor held back a laugh, knowing that if Clara was here she would say something like 'you've found your fellow chin-boy', or something ridiculous like that. "Tell you what, Doctor, if you can riddle the succession line, I'll issue a proclamation."

"Not issuing the Shadow Proclamation, are you?" the Time Lord replied, hoping for an ice-breaker. His Imperial Regency looked the Doctor in the eye, and laughed.

"We both know you can't issue that proclamation." he chuckled. The Doctor sighed in relief. The ruler then proceeded to unfurl some parchment. "Here we go."

"Hmm... I can see your problem. Ah! Why don't you..." he continued in the ruler's ear.

"Chess? But I hear that game ended up with an Earth ruler beheading a servant."

"Well... there is that. But it can also be used for tactical peace." the Doctor smiled.

"I congratulate you on ending this conflict before it got out of hand - although, from what the generals tell me, the opposing sides tell me they chose to escalate it most unwisely." the Imperial Regent said, raising his eyebrows at the bowtie-fixing.

"I'm surprised your generals and yourself didn't think of a tactical idea beforehand." the Doctor pondered out loud. The Regent shrugged what appeared to be his shoulders, and reached for a horn of sorts to summon his staff. "Well, I'll best be off."

"Salutations, Doctor." the ruler said, and the Doctor quickly sped off to find Jenny and Clara. Luckily, the sonic had a setting that could sense dual hearts, so he followed that. After a good half-hour of running about the Duprean landscape, he was finally on the right track. He called out Jenny's name in Gallifreyan. She turned around.

"Dad!" she exclaimed, running towards him. He hugged her back, but then noticed.

"Where's Clara?" he said, an edge to his voice. Jenny gulped slightly. "Jenny...?"

"Just a word of warning - you won't like this. It was my fault - I couldn't drag her down in time. I dodged the ray, but she didn't. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." the blonde was crying now, tears going down her face. The Doctor remembered his previous regeneration's catch-phrase with a grim smile, knowing Jenny had used it coincidentally.

"There, there." he said sympathetically, rubbing her back. "I'm sure we can figure it out. Now, what did the ray do, and where is she?" he pondered. Jenny blinked.

"I can answer both your questions at once." she said, unzipping Clara's safe place.

"Doctor?" Clara asked, quivering in relief as she saw him. The Doctor's jaw dropped.

"Clara?!" he gasped. He was not used to seeing his companions half a foot tall.

"Is this what the ray did to you?" the Doctor, crouching down to her eye-level.

"Like Jenny most probably told you, we both tried to dodge it, but all I remember is a haze of purple and then waking up like this." Clara said, and the Doctor fought a grin.

"Why are you almost smiling?" Jenny asked. The Doctor replied with a comical 'my Clara... if not troublesome then irksome.' But then he looked at his daughter, using telepathy. Jenny hung her head. "He finds it degrading to you that I picked you up, and he's gentleman enough not to do so unless he needs to." Jenny pouted to Clara.

"Awww... Doctor! Oh, how can I give you a hug when I'm this tiny?" Clara demanded.

"Hug my hand." he said, truly smiling this time. She did so. Jenny's face softened.

"If this wasn't so unusual and a dangerous consequence, it would be adorable." the blonde anomaly chuckled. When Clara stopped, the Doctor looked at her seriously.

"Clara, I'm a bit low on solutions at the moment, but I think I know who might be able to help." he said, the light from his green eyes problematically absent. "I know I always seem ready to fix things, but this might take time." he finished solemnly. Clara gently started crying, silent tears streaming down her tiny face. "But I'll try, I promise."

"It's not that I'm sad, Doctor." Clara said, shaking her head and wiping the tears away. "It's your persistence to look out for people you care about." she said, watery smile in place. A multitude of emotions crossed the Doctor's face - joy, pain, nostalgia, anger - and he bent down, his lips brushing Clara's hair ever so lightly.

"It is harder to kiss you on the forehead this way." he said, trying at last to be funny. "Whereas you can be affectionate anytime when I'm normal." Clara teased back. The Doctor had the grace to blush. Jenny giggled. "So, what's the piece to the puzzle?"

"Well first, we need to get back to the Tardis." the Doctor said. Clara zipped her temporary home back up and Jenny followed her dad back to the blue box, the older Time Lord fumbling around for the phone on the wooden side. "Aha!" he grinned, remembering with a laugh to dial seven and six at the end of the complicated number he was trying for. After some huffing and puffing, he got through to a real person.

"UNIT helpline." a cheery voice said on the end of the line. "What's your concern?"

"Listen, it's the Doctor. In a while I'll be at the Tower. Can you put me through to Kate Stewart?" he asked calmly. A gentle buzzing went through the phone and then he heard a familiar posh London accent, reminding him of those irritating cubes.

"Doctor, hello." Kate said, her voice sounding clear - she wasn't at HQ, then.

"Kate, I'll be on Earth soon, closing in on London." he said, a strain cracking in his voice. Kate guessed he was in trouble and where he'd end up next - the Tower.

"Right then, Doctor. I can guess you're making this call in a far-off galaxy. Whatever is the matter?" she pondered, personal concern underlining her tone - after all, she'd grown up with tales of him from her dad, and had firm professional relations with him.

"You'll see when you get there - that's why I thought of UNIT technology." he replied, and with an understanding pause from Kate, he hung up the phone. And with a snap of his fingers, the trio were in the Tardis. Soon enough, they were at the Tower. When they stepped out, Kate was there, ready to greet them with a pensive grin.

"It's good to see you again, Doctor. And this, I assume, is your companion?" she asked. The Doctor shook his head, knowing that Jenny would surely speak up.

"No, I'm not his companion. I'm his daughter - long story, but moreso to the point, his companion is with us. Why don't we go inside to discuss this?" she said, human sensitivity creeping into her alien brain. The Doctor smiled down at her. Kate led the way, unaware of the backpack. Jenny put it down on a table when they were in.

"Now for the... problem." Jenny said, struggling for calm as she got Clara out.

"Oh!" Kate exclaimed, taking in the six-inch woman. Clara smiled a bit.

"Hello, I'm Clara Oswald. And no, I'm nowhere near this size normally." she laughed. "Alien shrink ray. Science-fiction dominated my life very briefly, it seems."

"Right." Kate said, regaining her professional tone. "I think Torchwood captured a shrink ray of this sort and compromised with us. And an enlarging ray too." At this, the Doctor had a mixture of relief and exasperation on his face. Kate questioned him.

"Trust Jack to have an enlarging ray in his possession. I presume he won't ever change. Was it a battle?" he replied to her, a laugh trying not to escape.

"To hand it over? No, he was professional - I'm having it brought over." Kate said.

"You UNIT guys work fast." Jenny said, her ponytail bouncing. There was an excuse for it to bounce as well, since a familiar face walked into the room. Jenny grinned.

"Martha!" she squealed, hugging the coloured woman. Martha went slack.

"J-J-Jenny? But you're dead... hang on the Doctor told me about... regenerating." she muttered, meeting the bowtie-donned bloke's eyes as she finished. He smiled.

"Good to see you, Martha." he said, true warmth in his voice now. She grinned.

"So what hellish accident of yours do we have to clear up that you can't, Doctor?" she teased, easily falling back into the old rapport she had with the Gallifreyan.

**AN: This chapter was longer, but I felt Martha's reappearance was a good place to stop. My gut feeling told me to bring her back once the UNIT stuff had started.**


	5. Solutions All Around

**Solutions All Around**

**Author Note: All familiar ideas stem from Russell T. Davies, not me. Vague illusions to 10/Rose in this chapter, but mainly indistinct Whoufflé. Also contains nods to DotD and Journey's End, even though the fic's pre-DotD.**

"I refuse to be referred to as an 'accident'." Clara said, stamping her foot, trying to jump towards Martha. The Doctor held his current companion back, laughing.

"Martha, meet Clara, my current companion. Poor Clara was shrunk and we only have a rough idea of how. So hopefully you could use Jack's old tool?" he asked. Knowing the situation was in capable trusting hands, Kate walked to another room.

"No problem." Martha said, liking Clara's feisty demeanor even on first meeting. "I'll need a calculation to help." she continued, having a gut feeling about her fellow brunette.

"Well seeing as she's six inches now... one thousand and thirty-three percent." the Doctor said, knowing what Martha's reaction might be. And her jaw dropped.

"What happened to you, you poor woman?" Martha asked, bending down to Clara.

"Conflict that we got the middle of." Jenny perked up, trying not to laugh. Clara nodded her head towards the blonde, assuring Martha that it was the truth.

"Simple as, really. I was shrunk. And what's with the huge number?" Clara asked.

"That's the number I have to punch into the machine." Martha responded.

"You see, Clara. If I was shrunk down to one foot two point two inches, that's a fifth of my normal height, so Martha would have to grow me by 500 percent then." the Doctor explained. Clara nodded, understanding as the Doctor picked her up in his hands and followed Martha, who was walking down a corridor. Clara looked curious.

"Hey!" Jenny whined, her experience with running making sure that she kept up.

"Martha's got the growing machine in another room, and is going to operate it behind special glass. Want me beside her to reassure you?" the alien asked gently. Clara nodded. She liked Martha, but wasn't too sure about her skills. But then again, UNIT knew what they were doing. "Right then. Geronimo." he said in a firm tone.

"Surely 'allons-y' would be most appropriate?" Martha asked honestly, half-laughing.

"I've changed, Martha." he said, nudging her playfully. "My catchphrase back when Martha and Jenny knew me." he explained to Clara. Martha raised her eyebrows.

"I'm sure I never heard you say it. But I might've forgotten." Jenny mused out loud.

"You know Clara, I do happen to have pic-" but the Doctor cut Martha off ferociously.

"Nooooo way! I prefer bow-ties to pinstripes now." he demanded. Martha pouted, still getting some pictures out regardless of the Doctor's persistence. To Martha they showed a familiar spiky-haired thin someone. Clara's jaw dropped and she laughed.

"You did not look that!" she chuckled, her whole body shaking with laughter.

"Oh but he did. All 'I'm not a soldier' and 'I'm not doing strategy'." Jenny mocked. The Doctor half-heartedly glared at his daughter, then looked down to face Clara.

"I can still take pride in the fact I'm still thin, though." he defended spiritedly. "And now to get you, Miss Oswald, back to normal." he smiled. Clara held her breath as Martha took her tiny figure out of the Doctor's hand. Martha looked at the Doctor - this face was different, but she could still sense he was same alien she trusted.

"I'll have her back in one piece, I promise." she said, patting him on the shoulder.

Martha thought she could hear an 'I hope so'. Clara definitely heard it and chuckled.

"Mr. Protective." she said, looking up at Martha, who grinned down at her.

"Yeah, he does tend to have that characteristic, doesn't he?" the medical student said, sensing an especially close bond between Clara and this Doctor. She smiled at that revelation, glad he'd found someone to travel with after what happened to Donna. She'd randomly passed the ginger once, and had only got a completely blank stare as a response when she waved. The UNIT officer could only guess what the Doctor had done, due to the trouble with the meta-crisis. It had made her a bit sad afterwards, seeing Donna that time, to be honest. She put Clara down on a fir table. "Now Clara, you'll feel a slight tingling, blackness, and you'll be back to normal when the green ray hits you. Keep your back to the laser." Martha said gently. So Clara looked towards the glass, her eyes on 'her' chin-boy. With one last smile, she closed her eyes, and heard a high-pitched whine. And then she felt different. She moved her head without opening her eyes - it felt heavy. Cautiously creaking open her eyes, the impossible girl noticed she was back to normal. A glowing smile donned her face. But then she was engulfed in a hug.

"Clara! Oh Clara... You're back!" the Doctor said, his companion's head in the crook of his neck. He pulled back from the hug. Clara looked like she couldn't stop smiling.

"I am back." she said gently, smoothing out her outfit. The Doctor looked pensive.

"Are you sure? Martha, the tape measure please." he said, the ghost of a firm expression on his features. Martha handed one to him without saying a word. "Let's see... five foot two! You're perfect!" he said, suddenly going crimson. Martha giggled. "I meant... that your height is perfect... I mean, you're back to your regular height-"

"Doctor." Clara said in a weirdly firm but gentle voice. "I know what you meant." And then, taking advantage of her regular height again, she leaned in to peck his cheek. It was taking everything in Jenny's power not to point and titter like a teenager. Martha cleared her throat, and rid herself of a silly grin too when Clara faced her.

"Thank you, Martha. I couldn't possibly live my life in Jenny's bag." Clara said.

"Oi!" Jenny pouted. "I picked a nice comfy space for you in that backpack." she said. "After all, what would Angie and Artie say?" she pondered, imaging the kids' faces. "I can imagine they would be quite shocked. I think me being in Victorian Yorkshire..."

"...was enough? Did you tell them outright?" the Doctor asked, purely curious.

"No, I didn't. They randomly found a sepia picture of us on the web." Clara replied.

"Ooooh, what was this?" Jenny inquired, very curious. Martha was also, biting her lip. Clara ushered them closer and whispered to them in a huddle. Jenny was snorting excessively and Martha was mumbling something like 'suave, very suave'. But the Doctor was getting peeved at them ganging up on him, especially Clara!

"Has all your respect for me gone out the window and given way to girl talk?" he howled in comical anguish. At this, a certain Miss Jones raised her head to speak.

"You know us all well enough! You're right there, mister." Martha smirked.

"Well in that case, I'm off to sulk and you won't see me again." he pouted, sticking his tongue out. And in that moment, Martha could see a flash of her spiky-haired Doctor.

"Oh give it up, Doctor." Clara laughed. His green eyes flashed with an emotion she could not quite place just then. At that moment, Jenny realigned the conversation.

"Who are Angie and Artie, then? Good friends of yours?" she asked, turning to Clara.

"I'm a friend of the family, been caring for them since their mum passed." the brunette replied. "And you are not to tell them what happened when we get back, got it?" she said to the Doctor, pointing a finger at him. He chuckled at her attempt of being threatening, but nodded all the same, knowing she brought out her fists when mad.

"Can I still do this?" he asked hopefully, drawing her in for an overly-long comforting hug. Clara's muffled laughter drew out a reaction of raised eyebrows from Martha.

"I suppose..." Clara sighed, and pretending to be ticked off, slipped him a wink.

"Speaking of the Maitlands, shouldn't we bring them back something?" she asked.

"Well I can't think of any Duprean souvenirs..." the Doctor trailed. "...to fit in right with their house, that is." he finished, hoping Clara got the gist. Clara shrugged a bit.

"Fair deuce." she said. The Doctor suddenly looked downtrodden. It hurt Martha especially to see this new Doctor have such an expression on his face - he seemed like such a happy, energetic soul. Not that the previous regeneration hadn't been capable of a laugh, but this one looked like he always zipped about with a grin.

"I suppose this means this adventure's ended for you. That you want a break." he sighed. Then came the big guns - those big sad eyes that were Clara's weakness.

"It's the way we always do it, isn't it? I thought you'd gotten used to it." she said.

"S'pose." the Doctor sighed. "I guess that after everything on this adventure... I don't want you to go." he muttered. Clara's resolve broke as she rushed to hug him.

"Oh chin boy... you can travel to next Wednesday in a flash, you know that." she said, rubbing his shoulder. "My chin boy..." she murmured as he whispered 'my impossible girl' at the same time. Jenny and Martha looked at each other and stealthily slunk away from them, letting the moment pass in harmony. Kate suddenly reappeared, checking on the situation. She smiled when she saw Clara was human-size.

Martha pointed to the hugging pair and mouthed 'having a heartfelt moment' in the blonde's direction. Kate's smile became a rather unprofessional and cheeky grin.

"I never thought he could become truly attached." Jenny said lightly, knowing her father was well and truly very fond of Clara. Martha's mouth twitched at that quip.

"I did." she said. "But from this development, he's found someone else to love."

"Hang on!" Jenny exclaimed quietly. "Were you and he-"

"No we weren't. I wanted to, but he was too hung up on this Rose girl." Martha replied, now realising what Rose had done, guessing what the Doctor had done to her future, and that she was happy. "By the time I met you I'd put all that behind me."

"I never knew that, and we have information on all his companions." Kate uttered.

"Not personal information, though. That would be against UNIT rules." Martha said, her tone unusually forceful. Kate shrugged her shoulders and nodded, knowing that what Martha had said was the complete truth. "How about we check on the couple?"

"Fine by me." Jenny smiled, replicating Martha's teasing tone. When they'd got within coughing distance of the Doctor and Clara, Martha did just that.

"Oh!" Clara exclaimed, and broke apart from the Doctor, who was suddenly surprised his Time Lord senses hadn't picked up on the footsteps. "Everything's fine?" she tried to play innocent, but at a pitch higher than normal.

"Everything's fine." the bow-tied alien repeated. After being let out of the headquarters, the two Time-Lords and Clara were back in that magnificent blue box, off to the Maitlands'. The Doctor seemed subdued. Clara rubbed his back gently.

"I'll be _fine_. Well, Artie'll be peeved about no alien souvenirs, but that's a moot point."

"I can't help it if I'm protective of you, Clara - I'm the one who whisked you away."

"I volunteered - but I appreciate it." Clara said calmly, stroking the Doctor's cheek. Jenny decided to keep quiet for once as the Tardis made its signature sound. To the Doctor and Clara's shock, an oncoming missile - Artie - was right round the corner.

"Clara! You're back! Hi Doctor." he gibbered as he hugged them both.

"Hi Artie." the Doctor greeted, fondly ruffling the boy's hair. "Now, I'm under _strict_ instructions not to say _anything_-" he was cut off by Clara's glare for a second "-but this adventure took a lot out of Clara. Take care of her, won't you? Make sure she gets a good deal of rest." he asked. Artie nodded vigorously. Clara pouted childishly.

"I will rest when I can, but only for you." she suddenly smiled, giving the Doctor a good kiss on the cheek. The Doctor looked deliriously peaceful for that second, until a giggle broke the air. Jenny had been leaning against the Tardis door.

"My _troublesome_ sister." the Doctor grumbled to Artie, creating a cover story quick.

"Clara didn't call it a 'snog-box' for nothing!" Jenny laughed. Artie's eyes bugged out, and Clara chuckled. The Doctor stomped immaturely back to the Tardis, then waved.

"See you next Wednesday, Clara. Keep calm." he said, tenderness in his voice. Clara smiled as the time machine dematerialised. One week was enough time to get some well-deserved rest (as much as it hurt her pride to admit it), as along as Artie didn't repeat any of that encounter to Angie - Martha and Jenny were enough, it seemed.

**AN: And so this adventure finishes. The poor Doctor can't keep his affection under control, can he?**


End file.
